Songs Bring Us Together
by Puckelberrygleek
Summary: A Glee 2-shot where Rachel and Noah become closer through the use of two very meaningful songs. Story begins angsty, but I promise it has a good and happy ending.
1. Last Kiss

A/N: I know, such and angsty story, but I had to write it after listening to the song. I may do a sequel and make things better, but I don't promise anything.

A/N2: I will try to finish my other story!

* * *

Rachel sat in front of the cameras in the latest talk show, waiting for the cameras to being rolling so that her interview could begin.

"So Rachel, I heard that you are releasing a single, am I right?" Helen asked.

"Well, yes. It's the single for my new album," Rachel replied while trying to bring a smile to her face.

"So, does that mean that you are no longer working on Broadway?" Helen asked with a mock-surprise to her tone.

"No, I still am. However, I wanted to debut an album of songs that I have written." Rachel replied with enthusiasm.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, what is this song about?" Helen asked as she inched forward on her chair, wanting to get some gossip.

"Well, the song talks about a break up, and how hard it was on me." Rachel confessed.

"Would the song be about your mysterious boyfriend?" Helen asked as she smiled at the audience.

"Well, as you all know, I am single. But this does pertain to someone special in my life that has recently been out of it." Rachel replied while trying not to cry.

"Well, Rachel, I know that you were only here to talk about the single, but since we have time, would you mind debuting the single right here, right now?" Helen asked her with way too much enthusiasm.

Rachel had been prepared for this question, and as much as she did not want to do so, she knew she had to in order to attempt him to hear it. She knew that if he was watching at the moment, and if she asked him to listen, he would. This was her last attempt to get him to listen to her.

"I would love to" Rachel replied with a fake smile in place.

She walked to the center of the stage, and prepared herself to sing this song, hoping he would hear. Right before beginning the song, she looked at the camera and whispered "This is for you."

The intro of the song began, and she began the singing the songs. Every emotion in the song was conveyed through her voice and her face. As she sang the song, she began to remember all the memories that had inspired each and every lyric of this haunting song.

_I still remember the look on your face  
Lit through the darkness at 1:58  
The words that you whispered  
For just us to know  
You told me you loved me  
So why did you go away?  
Away_

Rachel remembers the first night the Noah told her that he was in love with her. They were sitting around in her little New York apartment watching a movie, when he turned her to look up at him, and bluntly told her "I love you". Rachel was so happy to hear those words from him. She had been feeling that way since he followed her to New York. Now, six months later, he was confessing the three words that she had only dreamt of hearing from his lip. That night, was the best night of her life.

She also remembers just as vividly, the night that he walked away from her. It was one year after he had confessed his love. They had yet another one of their fights. The ones where she told him that she wanted to form a family with him, and he refused. He always said that he didn't want to hold her back from her dreams. She fought with him over this so much. She didn't care. She just wanted to have a family with him. It angered her so much that he did not want the same thing with her. That night, she remembers blaming him of not loving her enough, of not seeing himself with her for long, and of even cheating on her. She doesn't remember what his response was. She only remembers that there was some name calling, lots of screaming, and then he left the apartment they shared. She thought it would be like their many other fights, and that he would come back in the morning. She didn't expect him to return later that night and pick up all his belongings, and leave her.

_I do recall now the smell of the rain_  
_Fresh on the pavement_  
_I ran off the plane_  
_That July 9th_  
_The beat of your heart_  
_It jumps through your shirt_  
_I can still feel your arms_

Her mind then drifted to the day that he had shown up in New York. She was just back from visiting her parents. When she got off of the plane, she expected to see Kurt waiting for her. What she didn't expect was to see Noah Puckerman holding a card with her name in the airport. She had missed him so much. Sure, she talked on the phone with him often, but she didn't know he was in New York. As soon as she got off of the plane, she ran up to him, and he engulfed her in a giant hug, lifting her off the floor and spinning her around. Ever since that day, they had been inseparable. They were always together. She didn't mind that in the slightest. She enjoyed every minute she spent with him.

_But now I'll go sit on the floor_  
_Wearing your clothes_  
_All that I know is_  
_I don't know how to be something you miss_

The first couple of weeks after he left, Rachel would constantly cry. She had found one of his beat-down McKinley sweatshirts, and she wore it all the time. She had tried to call him. She would send him long text messages telling him how much she missed him. She would leave him long voice mails trying to remind him why they were so in love, hoping to make him see that he missed her.

_I never thought we'd have a last kiss  
Never imagined we'd end like this  
Your name, forever the name on my lips_

She then remembered the last night they spent together. How sweet and caring he had been together. He was always that way with her. It was as if she was afraid that he would break her. Had she known that this was the last time she would have spent with him, she would have spent more time memorizing everything.

_I do remember the swing of your step_  
_The life of the party, you're showing off again_  
_And I roll my eyes and then_  
_You pull me in_  
_I'm not much for dancing_  
_But for you I did_

She remembered the first time they went back to home as a couple. All of the Glee kids had been in town, and they decided to have a mini Glee-reunion. She remembers that going back, and being in the same room as all those people brought her old insecurities back. She was no longer the determined, secure girl she was in New York. She remembers how Noah tried so hard that night to make her have fun with their friends. How he convinced her to loosen up a little. At one point, she sat back and admired how at ease he was there. How he was having so much fun and making everyone laugh. Just then, _Sweet Caroline_ came on, and he looked at her across the room and walked toward her. He extended his hand to her and swiftly pulled her to the dance floor. They were the only ones dancing, but she didn't care as long as she was in his arms.

_Because I love your handshake, meeting my father_  
_I love how you walk with your hands in your pockets_

That same trip, she finally introduced him to her fathers as her boyfriend. She remembers how nervous he was. He had spent the whole previous day at the mall with her, looking for the perfect outfit to wear. He wanted to impress her parents. He didn't want them to look at him and then prohibit her from seeing him again. She tried to tell him that it wouldn't happen, but he wouldn't accept that. When the night to meet them finally arrived, she remembers how confident he was as he was being introduced. Her parents had fallen in love with this boy, as she knew they would.

_How you kissed me when I was in the middle of saying something  
There's not a day I don't miss those rude interruptions_

She smiled as she remembered the countless times he would kiss her to stop her from talking. He did it when she was rambling on and on about something that had no meaning at all, when she rambled when she was nervous, when she rambled about the same thing over and over again. She missed those small gestured that he had with her. She missed his kisses. The way his lips felt on hers.

_And I'll go sit on the floor  
Wearing your clothes  
All that I know is  
I don't know how to be something you miss  
Never thought we'd have a last kiss  
Never imagined we'd end like this  
Your name, forever the name on my lips_

_So I'll watch your life in pictures like I used to watch you sleep_  
_And I feel you forget me like I used to feel you breathe_  
_And I keep up with our old friends just to ask them how you are_  
_Hope it's nice where you are_

All Rachel had now was his Facebook and their friends. She would sit in front of her computer and look at the things that he had done. She had called many of their friends that she knew he was still in contact with in order to know what he was up to. She could hear the pity in their friends' voices every time she asked about him, but she just wanted to know about him.

_And I hope the sun shines_  
_And it's a beautiful day_  
_And something reminds you_  
_You wish you had stayed_  
_You can plan for a change in weather and time_  
_But I never planned on you changing your mind_

Rachel still hoped that one day he would come back to her and be happy with her again. She wished daily that he would call her and tell her that he changed his mind and beg her to take him back. She had been so happy with him. She had planned for many things to happen with him; for them to get married, and form a family, to grow old together. The one thing she did not plan for was him leaving her.

_So I'll go sit on the floor_  
_Wearing your clothes_  
_All that I know is_  
_I don't know how to be something you miss_  
_Never thought we'd have a last kiss_  
_Never imagined we'd end like this_  
_Your name, forever the name on my lips_

_Just like our last kiss_  
_Forever the name on my lips_  
_Forever the name on my lips_

_Just like our last..._

As Rachel whispered the last words, she looked up at the camera with her teary eyes, whishing he was watching and realized how much she was hurting, and how much she wanted him back with her.

* * *

Song: _Last Kiss_ Taylor Swift


	2. For the First Time

A/N: I was planning to use this song for a different story, but after I heard it, I couldn't stop thinking about the first chapter to this, and how perfectly it could work together. Hope you guys enjoy this squeal.

* * *

Noah Puckerman was sitting in his living room, lazily stroking his guitar when the last chords he needed to finish his song suddenly popped into his head. He ran to his bedroom to get the music sheet where he was working and adding the finishing details to his song. Once he was done, he looked it over and was amazed at what he saw on the paper. He had finished writing his first song. He was not only amazed at the fact that he had actually created a song from scratch, putting together the melody and the lyrics, but that it had been done so easily. If someone had told him two months ago that he would be sitting here in this apartment looking at his finished song, he would have probably punched them in the face and told them to stop fucking around and leave him alone. Now, he was finished, and he was so damn happy that he was sitting in a small New York apartment.

"Noah, baby? Where are you?" An angelical voice called for him from behind the door to the bedroom.

"I'm in the bedroom," he replied while walking to his dresser and placing there the leather-bound notebook which housed his recently finished song.

He heard the shuffling of feet as the love of his life made his way to the bedroom where he was in. He could not help but smile, knowing that he was once again with the woman who made his days better with just one smile. He heard the door opening behind him, and finished arranging his things to turn and look at the beauty that had interrupted him. She had barely gotten her head in the door when she saw him looking at her and offered him one of her amazing smiles. He saw as she walked into the room and walked to him. As she came to a stop in front of him, he placed his hands on her waist and leaned down to peck her lips. Her smile grew even more as she looked up at him adoringly.

"Hi," she breathed out.

"Hello gorgeous," he chuckled as he replied.

"How was your day?" She asked as she began to gather her clothes to change.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? You know, since your rehearsals for _Wicked_ started today."

"Yeah, but it was boring. It mostly was meetings and scheduling and all that. I would much rather know what you did today." Rachel smiled at him as she made her way out of the bathroom to deposit her dirty clothes on the bin.

"Well, if you must know, I mostly sat around, watched TV, put up an ad for my guitar lessons," he offered and smiled when she broke out on a radiating smile. He stood straighter and nervously ran a hand over his neck as he quietly added, "and I finished my song."

Rachel was halfway to the door when she heard his last comment and abruptly stopped and turned to him with her brows furrowed. Upon seeing the tiny smile on Noah's lips, she smiled and ran to him. He caught her in a hug as he lifted her of the ground while she kissed his lips.

"You finished your song baby? I'm so happy for you!" She cried out as he set her down on the floor. He smiled even brighter than before.

"Yeah, the final chords just kind of came to me." He told her as he relaxed and leaned against the dresser.

"Can I hear it?" She excitedly asked while rocking on her feet. Noah marveled at how adorable she looked with her hands clasped together under her chin and her big brown eyes looking pleadingly at him. Just that was enough to make him grant her request, but he was a bit skeptical.

"I don't know Rachel. What if you don't like it? I mean, I just got to writing, I can't be that good." He offered to her.

"Oh Noah, you have been writing for years, don't try to fool me. I know that you wrote _Pretending_ senior year. Come on baby. Let me hear it. You haven't even told me what it is about." She told him, adding a pout for extra effect.

Noah looked at her and knew that he just had to tell her what the song was about, and he should show her. His mind was made up from the second she started talking, but he wanted to make her wait. He absolutely adored the way her pout made her lips look fuller, and loved making her get frustrated. He finally relented and leant down to kiss her pout away, and began leading her to the bed as he grabbed his guitar.

"Fine Rachel, but you have to be completely honest and tell me what you really thing. I don't want you to let the story get in the way of your judgment." He sat down and adjusted his guitar as Rachel nodded excitedly as she sat down.

"Ok, but can I know what the song is about before you start?" Rachel asked. Noah took a deep breath and looked her deep in the eyes before he whispered.

"Us."

He didn't give her time to reply as he began playing and singing the song he had spent days working on.

_She's all laid up in bed with a broken heart,  
While I'm drinking jack all alone in my local bar,_

After singing these lyrics, Noah thought back two months ago when he had heard Rachel singing that haunting song on the talk show. He was sitting in Sam's apartment, looking through the newspaper trying to find an apartment for rent. Sam's little sister who was in town visiting tuned in to the talk show. He wasn't paying much attention until he heard Helen say "'So Rachel, I heard that you are releasing a single, am I right?'" From that moment on, he glued his eyes to the television. He couldn't help but notice how gorgeous she looked in her dress. He knew that she had been planning this album, and writing lots of songs, but he didn't know which one she had chosen for her single. When he heard Rachel say that her song was about a break-up, he couldn't help but sit straighter, wanting to hear everything. Part of him wanted to leave the room, not have anything to do with this song, which he was hoping and dreading, was about him. When she whispered "'This is for you'" he had to stay and listen. He couldn't help but notice the far-off look on Rachel's face as she sang, which meant that she, like him, was thinking of all the moments they shared together. When she was done singing, he got up and walked down to the bar. He sat there for hours, drinking away the hollow feeling that had been eating him up since he walked out on her. He couldn't help but wonder if she was laying down, crying, and feeling half as miserable as him.

_And we don't know how,  
How we got into this mad situation,_

These lines where a complete lie. Noah knew exactly what drove him to make the choice of walking out of Rachel's life.

_Only doing things out of frustration_

Trying to make it work but man these times are hard,

_She needs me now but I can't seem to find the time,_  
_I've got a new job now on the unemployment line,_

When Rachel began to talk about wanting to form a family with him, he just couldn't bring himself to agree. He had a bartending job that offered him a meager salary that wouldn't even be enough to make ends meet if it wasn't for Rachel's paycheck. He knew that if he wanted to bring kids into this world, he had to have a more stable environment for them. Also, he didn't want to bring Rachel's career to a stall. She had been doing great so far. She had participated in two Broadway shows, and was nominated for the Tony she so desperately wanted through high school. However, what he feared the most, was not being good enough for Rachel and not being a good father. He just had too many insecurities, with his father walking out, everyone comparing Noah to his deadbeat dad, giving up Beth, and not being good enough for Quinn. He, however, did not tell Rachel any of this, only giving her vague refusals, and then walking out on her when she refused to accept his refusal.

_And we don't know how,  
How we got into this mess  
Is it god's test?  
Someone help us 'cause we're doing our best,_

He doesn't even know why he decided to walk out on her the way he did, without explaining anything to her. He irrationally thought at the moment that by doing so, he would show her that she could live better without him, and at the same time prove to himself that he was not good enough for her. He put himself through a self-made test that was ultimately designed to prove all of his insecurities.

_Trying to make it work but man these times are hard_

_But we're gonna start by_  
_Drinking old cheap bottles of wine,_  
_Sit talking up all night,_  
_Saying things we haven't for a while_  
_A while, yeah_  
_We're smiling but we're close to tears,_  
_Even after all these years,_  
_We just now got the feeling that we're meeting for the first time_

Noah couldn't stop the smile that made its appearance with this verse. He knew that this was the one thing that he would be writing about when he decided to write his first song. He remembers it as if it was yesterday. The day after he heard Rachel singing her song, he made up his mind to go talk to her. He remember how broken she looked as she sang her song. It was clear to him that she was not doing better without him. He got up, got dressed and went out in search of the happy life he had given up on. As he was walking down the sidewalk, he had to stop and clear his thoughts. He didn't know what he was going to tell Rachel. He knew that the song was really personal to her and that the feelings were real, but he didn't know if her song was a way of telling him that she was done with him, done with waiting. After many hours of thinking, he decided that he would still go and talk to her. As the sun was beginning to set, he walked into her apartment building with a bottle of her favorite wine. When she opened the door, she was shocked to see him there, and immediately started crying. Noah rushed inside and held her as she broke down right in front of him. After many minutes of her crying and Noah consoling her, she was able to calm down and they began to talk. He told her all of his fears, and she told him her reasons for her argument. They sat up all night talking, laughing, crying, kissing, and whispering I love you back and forth, reassuring each other that everything would be fine. It wasn't until that night that they finally felt like they completely knew each other._Oooooo_

_Oooooo__  
Oooooo_

_She's in line at the dole_  
_With her head held high (high)_  
_While I just lost my job but_  
_Didn't lose my pride_

_But we both know how,_  
_How we're gonna make it work when it hurts,_  
_When you pick yourself up,_  
_You get kicked to the dirt,_

Noah reflected back on the last two months. Getting back on track with Rachel was easier than he thought, but getting rid of the past was not. It was hard trying to forget what had led them to their fight, what had caused his insecurities to rise. However, Rachel was not known for giving up, and she worked hard to keep their relationship going. It was after seeing her so invested in their relationship and seeing how much she loved him, that Noah began to lose his insecurities and began to dwell in the fact that this was it for him, that this was his forever and that it would last this time around.

_Trying to make it work but,_  
_Man these times are hard,_

_But we're gonna start by,_  
_Drinking old cheap bottles of wine,_  
_Sit talking up all night,_

_Doing things we haven't for a while,_  
_A while yeah,_  
_We're smiling but we're close to tears,_  
_Even after all these years,_  
_We just now got the feeling that we're meeting for the first time._

_Ooooo_

_Ooooo_

_Ooooo_

_Yeah..._  
_Drinking old cheap bottles of wine,_  
_Sit talking up all night,_  
_Saying things we haven't for a while,_  
_We're smiling but we're close to tears,_  
_Even after all these years,_  
_We just now got the feeling that we're meeting, for the first time_

_Oooooo..., yeah for the first time_  
_(ooooo...), oh for the first time,_  
_Yeah for the first time,_  
_(just now got the feeling that we're meeting..._  
_For the first time)_

_Oh these times are hard,_  
_Yeah they're making us crazy_  
_Don't give up on me baby_

_Oh these times are hard,  
Yeah they're making us crazy  
Don't give up on me baby_

_Oh these times are hard,  
Yeah they're making us crazy  
Don't give up on me baby_

_Oh these times are hard,  
Yeah they're making us crazy  
Don't give up on me baby_

Noah ended the song looking at his lap. He couldn't dare to look up at Rachel. When she had been quiet for a long time, he managed the courage to look, and what he saw left him breathless. Her eyes were full of tears, some even cascading down her cheeks. However, what he saw that amazed him the most was the complete adoration and love she showed. One of her hands was clasped tightly over her mouth but he could tell she was smiling. Before he could sense it, she jumped forward and hugged him to her with a crushing force. He sat there hugging her back and realized that he wanted to do this for the rest of his life, and like his song stated, they were gonna make it work. He gently undid her arms from around him, and stood up. When he saw her questioning glance and her posture ready to get up, he leant down and gave her a long passionate kiss reassuring her of his deep love. When she sat back down, he walked over to his dresser and searched through one of his drawers until he found what he was looking for. He placed it in his pocket and walked back to the bed. He sat next to her and took her hands in his and kissed her tenderly, before whispering,

"You don't have to say anything baby. I can tell by your look that you liked my song." He smiled as Rachel scoffed at his understatement. He saw her attempt to speak, but he used one of his hands to stop her.

"No, let me talk." When she nodded her understanding, he took her hands back in his and began talking again. "I know that I have fucked up a lot in the last couple of months. You have been with me through it all, and you have given me so much love. You have helped me through my darkest moments, and have given me the most valuable thing in my life, my happiness. You are the reason why that song was written baby. It is about you. You pushed me to do something that I enjoyed and made me write that song, you even bought me music sheet. But the thing that I value the most, is the love that you have given me. It fuels me on every day. I know that I once doubted that it would last. I was afraid that you would realize that you deserve better, that you could do better. Now, I still think you deserve better, but I am working damn hard to be better for you, to be worthy of you. I know we both have our insecurities, that we both need reassurance that we are loved. We will work through that together because I am now sure that we will make it work. So Rachel, I wanted to ask you one thing," He let go of her hands and knelt down in front of her as he reached into his pocket and took out the black little box that contained a promise for his future happiness. He looked up at Rachel who was crying again and had her hand covering her mouth. He opened the box to reveal a simple yet elegant diamond ring.

"Would you marry me?"

Rachel began nodding her head erratically as she took her hand off her mouth. She smiled as she looked into his eyes and whispered,

"Yes!"

Once Noah placed the ring on her finger, she threw herself into his arms and kissed him hard on the lips, enjoying his arms around her.

Later that night, while they laid in bed Rachel looked at her ring and smiled. She was content in lying down with her head on Noah's chest as he ran his fingers through her hair. She shifted her head to look up at him and placed a small kiss on his lips. She looked at her ring again and couldn't help herself when she asked him,

"Noah, did you plan on proposing to me with that song all along?"

He smiled and kissed her once more on the lips while he ran his thumb over the diamond on her finger. He contemplated her question and how to answer it before he said,

"Actually, no, but I did plan to propose with music."

She smiled and laid back down on his chest. She looked at her ring one final time, before falling asleep and dreaming of the rest of her life with the man she loved.

* * *

Song: _For the First Time_ by The Script


End file.
